Symptom reduction in advanced cancer from multi-session mindful breathing: randomised controlled study

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Oncology
• Mindfulness-Based Interventions

Background:

• Limited data exists on the efficacy of multi-session mindful breathing in palliative care.
• Single-session interventions have shown symptom reduction.
• This study addresses the gap in knowledge regarding sustained mindful breathing practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-session mindful breathing program.
• To assess symptom reduction in patients with advanced cancer.
• To determine the impact of four daily 30-minute sessions on symptom burden.

Main Methods:

• Adult patients with advanced cancer and significant symptom burden (ESAS score ≥4) were recruited.
• Participants were randomized into an intervention group (mindful breathing + standard care) or a control group (standard care only).
• The primary outcome was the change in total ESAS score after each of the four sessions.

Main Results:

• 80 patients were randomized equally between the intervention and control groups.
• The intervention group demonstrated statistically significant reductions in total ESAS scores after all four mindful breathing sessions.
• The control group showed significant reductions only after sessions 1 and 3.

Conclusions:

• Four daily 30-minute sessions of mindful breathing appear effective in rapidly reducing multiple symptoms in advanced cancer patients.
• This intervention offers a promising approach for symptom management in palliative oncology.
• The findings support the integration of multi-session mindful breathing into standard cancer care.